by Greg Dragon
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Fearing that his secrets would be overheard and stolen, Arlan Fo took the party up into the hills north, beyond the town, and set up a camp for them to relax in. Alysia worried that they were being too liberal with their trust, but it made her feel better knowing that at least Amarah was thinking the same thing.
They slept in bedrolls, gifted to them by the villagers, and ate a sort of salted meat that reminded her of bacon. Arlan Fo carried a massive backpack with everything they needed. He carried pots and pans in there, some utensils, and enough tarp to build a tent big enough to accommodate them all. There was also an ax, which he had to assemble, but he used it to chop up firewood to keep them warm that night.
“You’re a regular mountain man, aren’t you, Arlan?” Orwan joked, and the big man laughed as if it was the funniest joke he had ever heard in his life.
He had just come back to their circle after setting up traps around the area, just in case a wild animal dared to come too close. Alysia noticed that he was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her sword, and she wondered what was really behind his obvious obsession with it.
“About a mile north of here is a place they call the God’s Teeth,” Arlan Fo said. “It is filled with large rocks, stony earth, and a thick mist that hugs the area like some sort of possessive ghost.”
“I know the place,” Orwan said. “It is where the great castle of the Ert Alphas once stood. Several wars reduced it to rubble, and the old masters cursed the ground so that nothing could ever grow there.”
“Very good, traveler, but I’m not the wee bit surprised. I bet you’ve seen the entire continent of West Yalem, haven’t you? Pah, never mind, you are right about everything, except the part where you said the castle was reduced to rubble. The Erts sunk the castle to protect their secrets. The stones are the remnants of the upper towers.”
Orwan was intrigued. “Sunk? What do you mean sunk?”
“I mean that the castle is underground now, my friend. The rooms are intact, as well as the treasures that they conceal. Why, I bet that hanging on one of those dark, subterranean walls is the sister blade to the one you wear there, CeeCee.” He gave her a wink but she merely stared, wondering how it was he knew this much.
The next day they struck out early, a long march across the plains until the terrain went from lush and green to varying shades of brown and grey. It was as if a dragon had flown across the map, belching out flames, killing all vegetation for miles and miles.
They walked for two hours until the sun took the yellow sky, then sat beneath a massive, old tree for shade and a drink of water. The demons traded stories of fable and folklore, some of it intriguing and others far-fetched. Alysia took off her boots and rubbed her feet, listening to their banter. It was enough to calm her nerves over getting her hands on Bliss.
When they set out again, she felt fully refreshed and energized, and she realized that Arlan Fo's water was something special since they all drank from the bottle. Alysia kept quiet but she was curious about which lake the big merchant had drawn the water from. It wasn't just her limbs that healed; it had picked up her spirit, as well.
“So, Amarah, are you with anyone?” Alysia asked, when they had fallen back far enough to speak together in private.
“Why, are you interested?” she asked, and the question caught Alysia off guard.
“No, not me. What? Do you think that’s why I’ve been … no, I’m asking because you’re the only woman in your Ert fighting squad. Surely one of them has asked you out, or, I dunno… I see how Cyrio stares at you when he thinks you aren’t looking. Has he told you how he feels, or do you have your eyes set on Orwan?”
Amarah smiled. It was cute and filled with mischief. “Cyrio and I were together, but it didn’t work out. We were like spark and oil, me and that one. We fought like tigers, constantly, but the making up was what we thrived on. No relationship can last if that’s what it’s built on. I’m sure you know that, CeeCee. It got old, and we went our separate ways. Well, we had gone our separate ways, until we got called to be in this group. What about you, mysterious CeeCee? Any boyfriends back at Wildemont awaiting your return?”
Alysia sighed. “No, there hasn’t been time. I couldn’t tell you the last time I was in a relationship, or even swapping smiles with a handsome man. The last guy that I got close to, I chased him off.” She stopped talking abruptly, afraid to continue due to the sudden emotions swelling inside.
“Go on, spill it, CeeCee. What happened to make you chase him off, and tell me, where did he go?”
“I chased him off because I was a dumb, young girl, sold on Chaos’s crap about saving the world. He ran into the arms of a good friend of mine, another of the Bloody Garot, but they both ended up losing their lives. Since then I haven’t even considered love. Not here in this strange place, at least. I am too busy watching my back to be looking for a boyfriend.”
“You don’t have to watch your back with us around, CeeCee, I hope you know that,” Amarah said.
"That's sweet, but I barely know you all, and I have experienced nothing but confusion since waking up in Yalem." Alysia sighed. "The most confusing bit is the fact that Chaos always seems to know where I am, can get to me, yet when he has the chance we only cross words but never swords."
"Perhaps Chaos is unable to destroy you, or maybe he’s disallowed. There are ancient pacts between Turevila and Ert that have been around forever."
"But, technically I am not either, am I? He pulled me from my earthly life and made me fight for him. Then I betrayed him and took a handful of warriors from his Garot."
“Yet here you are, all powerful. So powerful in fact that the very man you aim to destroy is using you to take out his enemies. Yes, I can see why you would be confused, but it seems pretty clear to me. Chaos has no allies. The only ones that deal with him are those under his control. He’s manipulating you, and I’m sure the return home is what he dangles in front of you to keep you his.
“I pity you, CeeCee, I really do. While it would be easy for me to tell you to forget his lies, I know that he’s given you hope. Maybe you should have a serious talk with Lenorela. She’s wise and knows more about Chaos than any of us.”
“Oh, trust me, I plan to,” Alysia said, her mood sinking rapidly like the rocks that they now found themselves on.
The sun was above them, hot and merciless with its heat, and Alysia looked down at her hands, which were swollen and sweaty with perspiration. She looked over at Amarah, who was just as sweaty as she was, and then she glanced at the path that they traveled.
The sandy road was lined with rocks, sharp enough to draw blood if you fell. The air was warm and thick, and it smelled of ash and old, rotted flesh.
Alysia could not recall a more miserable trip than the one they were on, though her family’s travel through the ruined state of New Jersey would be a close second. The Erts were not complaining, and their guide, the muscular Arlan Fo, was all songs and jokes up front, his gusto so immense that she almost forgot about Bortex.
She thought about her friends and wondered why they had come along. Wasn’t the sword her charge to recover? Why were they out here sweating in misery when they could be back at the village being pampered by the residents?
“I will owe you all a lot of favors for coming with me on this trip,” she said to Amarah.
“You won’t owe us anything. Just stay away from Chaos,” Amarah said in a whisper that Alysia almost missed.
“Is that why you help me? To keep me on the Ert side of the line? You don’t have to worry … I have no plans to join the man who destroyed my entire world. Even if he somehow reverses the damage, I will not be joining him. He ought to know this, as well. We may be able to talk without killing one another, but that does not make us friends. Speaking of friends, what is your history with Chaos? I see that the men go wherever you suggest and based on our conversations, I know for a fact that you are into this in order to bring dow
n Chaos.”
Amarah used her fingers to toss her hair. Sweat leaped from it and left her tan hands damp. “We all came from separate worlds; mine is the same as Lenorela’s. Chaos and the V’Kosha that oppose him put everything to ruin. But then the knight, Willert, came to me and offered me a chance for revenge. There was no talk of rolling back time like Chaos and Lancert promised you, but they offered me life, and a chance to destroy the man who did this to us.”
Alysia seemed stunned. “Exactly how many worlds has Chaos destroyed? This is so ridiculous. You would think that one world would be enough to grow his little army.”
Amarah gave Alysia a measured look, then glanced down as if to finish her calculating there. “That question says it all; no wonder you listen to him. CeeCee, dear, Lord Chaos didn’t get his name by honor or birthright. Yalemites began calling him ‘Chaos’ because he is insane. Logic and reason show up in the man, and no doubt these are the times when he has held council with you. But there is no real end to his amassing an army … he will keep ruining worlds, because that is all he knows.”
Alysia closed her eyes; it was a blow to the face. She was on a mission for a promise made by a madman. “What is wrong with me?” she mumbled under her breath. “How could I be so blind? How could I let myself get played like this?”
Amarah touched her arm. “Are you okay, CeeCee?”
“I’m doing great, actually. Chaos is mad and I am a fool. At least now I know why I am always so confused. Why hasn’t anyone been able to kill him?”
“He may be mad but he’s a lord with enormous power and magic. Not to mention his skill with a sword is matchless across the lands. That is where you might appear frightening to him. With the two swords and your power, Chaos will be forced to acknowledge that you are a threat.”
The company stopped at a mountain of rubble not much different from the piles they had been walking around. Alysia wanted to pass out from the heat. She wondered if the old castle that they were about to crawl down to was as cool as a cave. She could imagine the feel of that chill air on her skin and it began to make her anxious. “God, I hope that this is it,” she allowed herself to say. Cyrio glanced over at her and nodded in agreement.
Arlan Fo motioned for them to come in close. He looked around at the direction that they had come, as if to make sure that no one had followed them.
“There’s no one coming after us,” Cyrio said when he realized what he was doing. “If we had a tail, I would have been the first one alerted to it. Now, it’s very hot and miserable, big man. Where is the blasted entrance?”
Chapter Five
Arlan Fo reached for one of the lowest rocks and pulled it out, tossing it behind him. He reached for another, and another before Bortex decided to join in, helping him to clear the hill. Alysia looked around. The place reminded her of Mars minus the red tint. Video and pictures that she’d seen as a child led her to believe that if she made it up to the planet, it would be something like what she was seeing now.
She caught herself daydreaming and hurried to help move stones away from Arlan Fo's hiding spot. They worked at it for ten minutes and then a dark hole was revealed. Arlan Fo cleared it out enough to allow someone of his size to enter, and then he bade them stop, shielding his eyes from the sun as the sweat continued to pour, soaking him thoroughly. They all smelled the way they looked, and Alysia wondered if she was the only one bothered by it.
Arlan Fo faced them and forced a smile. "Sun fades in an hour," he said. "We made good time. We can climb inside, past the rocks and the heat, then make camp on the first floor in order to get some rest. Anyone object? I know it's been a hard journey, but once we're inside it should be cool and damp."
"Cool and damp?" Alysia repeated. "Is there really a castle down there, or is it just a cave?"
"The castle is buried deep, my dark beauty. We have to make it through the cave to reach it."
"What about the entrance that we just cleared? Aren't you afraid that someone will find it and follow us inside? Actually, even worse, what if it's an enemy of yours, and he decides to seal the hole and trap us here forever?"
"All good questions, but not to worry. There are multiple places to get in and out of the cave. This one is the closest, which is why I chose it, but in the event we get stuck, I can show us out to Hiren Forest, or one of the caves north of here."
Alysia was satisfied. Arlan Fo knew the caves, so her fear of being wedged under rock began to fade like the sun above. One by one they got on their hands and knees, crawled inside the hole, and followed its slope down into the caves. The space inside grew bigger as they crawled, till it was tall enough for Amarah to stand up and a man of Orwan’s height, albeit hunched over. Bortex was the last inside after getting instructions from Arlan Fo. He grabbed the biggest boulder and rolled it to the hole, then squeezed past it to get inside.
Arlan Fo had them hold one another's hands as they pressed into the darkness, cautioning them to stay quiet. His reasoning was that there could be alarm spells or listening devices planted to detect intruders. The contradiction of what he said earlier and this new caution brought goose pimples to Alysia's arms, and she promised herself that later on, she would have a word with their big, sweaty guide.
The air was thick and musty, the smells from those in front of her melding with the cavern. It was hot and she could barely breathe, and it took everything within her not to succumb to her claustrophobia. She could feel her strength slipping as they slid along the passageway, but the irony wasn't lost to her as she fought for strength.
I can walk into combat with the most horrific of demons, yet a cave gets the best of me, she thought. She felt a reassuring squeeze from Cyrio's hand and it was enough to buy her some time. She swallowed hard against the bile building up in her throat and tried to think of something else.
"Here we are," Arlan Fo said, and several sparks started the blaze on a torch that he had produced. "Now, I hope that none of you minds a tight fit ... we have to go through this one in order to reach the cave's main vein."
Alysia couldn't believe what she was hearing, but when she looked past Amarah, she could see that they were at a dead end with a hole at the bottom, big enough to barely fit Arlan Fo or Bortex. The thought of them going through and being stuck with no way to turn around consumed her thoughts and she closed her eyes and fought back against the fear. A large hand touched her shoulder and she flinched violently, but it was only Bortex, who leaned over to whisper something into her ear.
"We'll get through this together, CeeCee, you don't have anything to worry about. When it's your turn, I will watch you, and if there's any trouble I will crawl in to pull you out."
She didn't know how he would accomplish this, considering his massive size, but Bortex was strong, so his words were reassuring enough to see her past her fear. Arlan Fo lay the torch by the hole, then lay prone and got down and struggled through. It took him over fifteen minutes to give them the "all clear" from the far side before it was Orwan’s turn. His effort took a little over thirty minutes, and while he crawled the rest of the team decided to rest.
Alysia realized for the first time that the temperature had dropped. Her clothes were still damp from all the sweat, but it felt cool against her skin. Amarah was the next one up for the crawl, but like everything else it didn't seem to concern her one bit. She fidgeted with her knives and picked the dirt from beneath her nails, using the dim torchlight to groom herself as if she wasn't about to face-dive into a dusty tunnel.
"I can hear water," she said and gave a warm smile to Alysia.
"Water down here? Where the hell would it come from?" Bortex asked.
"The quarry was only a mile or so out from The Saun," Amarah said. "I'm sure that the river pours in down here, which explains Arlan saying that it would be damp. Whatever its source, I don't care; I just want to get clean. I feel like a filthy child."
Orwan called through to them, and Amarah didn't hesitate. She got on her stoma
ch and crawled forward rapidly. To Alysia she looked like a spiky-haired salamander. She watched her go, then sat in silence as Bortex and Cyrio spoke on several subjects. When it was just she and Bortex left, she made to ask him his feelings on Arlan Fo, but a noise from behind them startled them.
Two massive fists caught Bortex’s face, and the big man went down instantly. Alysia hopped back defensively, keeping her sword high, but she couldn’t make out what it was. The shape was that of a man, a large, sweaty man, and when he stepped over Bortex’s unconscious body, she could see that it was Arlan Fo.
“I’ll offer you a chance, girl, a chance that I didn’t give to your friends. Hand me the Ert sword, peaceful-like, and I will allow you to walk out of the cave with your life.”
Alysia was stunned, unable to grasp anything that was going on at that very moment. How had a demon as big as Arlan Fo managed to slip past them the way he did? How was he behind them when she had seen him go through the hole? Unless he had gone through quickly, and slipped through a passage that they would have missed when they followed him blindly in the dark.
“What are you?” she managed. “Why the ruse? You’re a big guy, you could have wrestled the sword away from me when we first met, or kept it when I handed it to you in the bar.”
“Do you think me foolish enough to fight a group of Erts and whatever you are? It had to be this way, to get at the sword. Now stop wasting my time and hand it over!”
“First you must tell me what happened to my friends. What have you done to Amarah, Orwan, and Cyrio?” She was angry now, and tilted the tip of the sword towards him. She already knew the answer, but wanted him to confirm it.
“They await you on the other side, unaware that they are trapped. The tunnel there is an illusion. Once you’re past a point it will not allow you to crawl back the way you came. But you can join them, right? You can give me the sword.” He licked his lips in anticipation. “And then you and your friend here can join the others. I haven’t hurt any of you, I just want the sword, and you can work together to find an exit out … I didn’t lie about that.”
